The Wildland Fire Decision Support System (WFDSS) is an interagency, web-based application that helps agency administrators and fire managers make risk informed decisions for all types of wildland fires, regardless of complexity. WFDSS integrates various applications used to manage incidents into a single risk-informed, collaborative system to streamline the analysis and reporting process. 

The current operational version of the WFDSS application, otherwise known as WFDSS Classic, was initially developed in 2007. WFDSS NextGen was born out of an effort to reduce the number of bugs and malfunctions and update the infrastructure of the application.

Using WFDSS user feedback dating back to 2007, the NextGen team has created an application that preserves the key functionality of the operational version of WFDSS, while incorporating some key foundational technology changes that will improve user experience and smooth Operations and Maintenance (O&M) and future Development, Modernizations and Enhancements (DME) going forward. These technology changes will also allow for incorporation of research and new products from groups like RMA and ISAP. Several data layers from RMA have already been incorporated, such as Snag Hazard, Suppression Difficulty Index (SDI) and and Potential Control Locations (PCL). 

WFDSS Next Gen is designed to improve the user experiencing by being Scalable, Map-Focused and Intuitive, while providing users with authoritative data and “as near to” real-time information as possible to facilitate informed and rapid decision making. WFDSS NextGen will be utilizing services as the primary method for displaying spatial data, populating weather data throughout the application, running the fire behavior analyses and displaying Spatial Fire Planning data. Utilizing services gives WFDSS NextGen much more flexibility on the data it provides to the end user while ensuring that data is the most up to date and accurate information available.



It is estimated that WFDSS NextGen will host over 8,000 active users annually and will reference 100 to 150 data services within the mapping interface.

Along with the monthly distribution of this newsletter, we'll begin delivering a weekly, hour-long webinars consisting of a system or feature related demo followed by user Q&A.

Register for the sessions that interest you below!

We’re pleased to invite users to request their application access and role to the Training (EDU) environment. This is the next step toward the full transition to the new WFDSS application.

Users that have approved roles in the User Acceptance Testing Environment (UAT), as of 2/11, will be automatically granted access and roles in the training (EDU) environment. Users with pending role requests will be approved.

Users requesting roles and access should view the application help and work with your GAE to ensure that you are requesting the proper role for your needs.